


King Park

by jaeparker



Category: Game Grumps, Youtube RPF, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Hospital for the criminally insane, Mental Institutions, Multi, will tag more once they come up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-05-30 17:06:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6432958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaeparker/pseuds/jaeparker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sean McLoughlin is serving his sentence at Baltimore's Hospital For The Criminally Insane where he meets a group of boys whom finally make him feel he belongs. A feeling that would've stopped the horrible acts he spends everyday regretting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I want to be there when the bullet hit.

**Author's Note:**

> Daniel was originally in this work before his passing. I've now replaced him with someone else as per someone's request out of respect. He was written into this well before his passing and this fic is barely being publicized now.

The second loud bang made Jack flinch harder, immediately turning away.

Once he heard the satisfying thump, he pulled out his cellphone and did what needed to be done.

Jack sighed as a voice sounded from the line.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“I killed my mum and my sister.” He mumbled.

“I’m sorry?” The operator asked.

“I killed my mum and my sister,” Jack repeated.

“You killed your mother and your sister?” She asked. 

“Yeah,” Jack confirmed. 

“What’s your name?” The operator asked, audibly typing frantically.

“Sean McLoughlin,” Jack sat down on his couch, setting the gun down on the coffee table in front of him.

“How did you kill them, Sean?” the operator asked, sending officers to the traced location.

“Uh..with a .22 revolver.” Jack replied, looking down at the gun on the table. 

-“Alright, is anyone else in the house?” the operator asked.

“No, my sister is at my nana's house and everyone else is out of town for the day,” Jack replied truthfully.

“Where are you, Sean?” The operator asked, biding her time with the caller.

“On m’ couch” he replied, shuddering as his eyes glided across his mother’s body..

“Alright, Sean. Stay with me, help is on the way.”

It only took five minutes for NYPD to show up on Jack’s property.

To Jack, it all played out in slow motion. The police rushed onto the property and cuffed him

“Jack?” the lad heard a voice yell over the police sirens.

“What happened?!” His older sister Mallory screamed, police keeping her off the property.

“Jack?!” She screamed again, watching as two body bags were being wheeled out.

“Oh my god!” He heard his grandmother shriek.  
Mallory fought with the officer, trying to see what happened at her home.

She was across the street at her grandmother’s house, checking on them as her father was out of town when it happened, she was just returning home.

“JACK!” Mallory screamed as her brother was shoved into a squad car.

It didn’t surprise him. He never doubted to anyone that he did it.

With a taped and written confession, and plenty of physical evidence, there really was no case for Jack.

But since he hadn’t been taking his medicine, and he hadn’t been thinking straight, he got the sentence most kids his age got.

Institutionalization at a hospital for the criminally insane.

It’d take a few months to decide just how long Jack would stay there, but Jack didn’t care.

He had done a terrible thing, and he knew it. It was something he could never take back, and therefore had to pay the consequences.

Jack was quickly escorted into a small room with a single bed tucked into the corner.

“A desk for schoolwork,” the orderly explained, tossing clothing onto the neatly made bed.

Jack nodded, keeping his hands behind his back.

“You’ll be sleeping alone until a doctor says you’re okay to do otherwise.” The orderly explained, hanging a towel on a plastic rack. 

Jack nodded again, understanding.

“Get dressed quickly, you’re due in the mess hall in 5.” The orderly said, leaving the room, locking the door behind him.

Jack looked down at the beige clothing in front of him.

He sighed, “Well it is what it is.”

He quickly changed clothes and left his old things folded on his bed. Jack sat on his bed and though back.

Too much had changed in the last couple of months. Moving from Ireland to New York, falling behind in school, everything.

It was too much for him. He obviously didn’t deal with it well. 

His way of ‘coping’ ended up getting him being carted to Baltimore.

He missed his mum and his sister. He missed all of his sisters, and his dad. He hadn’t seen them since the day it all happened. 

None of his family members attended the court hearings. And no one visited him before he was taken to the hospital in Baltimore. 

He spent watching the day fade into the night by himself. He counted the lonely, sleepless nights. He wished upon every star to take back what he had done to himself and his family. 

But he couldn't. The hospital in Baltimore was a start. It was a big step he was willing to take.

He was ready for the leap of faith that he'd have to take the very morning, and every morning and night for a very long time. 

He decided it was time he'd finally be brave. He'd do it for his mother and his sister.

Something held onto Jack. Something incredibly strong that he couldn't shake. “Where were you a few months ago?" He couldn't help but scold himself.

But it didn't matter where it was, whether he had it at all or it came as a part of all of this. All that mattered to Jack was that he had it now. And he wasn't letting go.


	2. I cruelly I recall why I have come: To find a reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More character introduction!

A loud buzzing followed by his door swinging open snapped Jack out of his thoughts.

 

He peeked out of the door and saw young men walking down the hallway, to the mess hall he guessed.

 

“Come on, lunch time.” An orderly nodded in the direction the boys were walking.

A few stalled to stare at the boy who sat dumbfounded alone in his room. 

 

Jack quickly stood and followed.

 

He felt all eyes on him as he glued his gaze on the floor.

 

He heard whispers from the hallway.

 

“Another one? Two killer faggots in one month?” He heard a young man spit.

 

“Shut up, Greg.” Another voice spat, as Jack heard a body colliding with the wall of the hallway.

 

He snapped to look and saw an orderly yanking a boy a bit older than Jack away from the guy he’d just shoved into the wall.

 

“Fuck off, Hanson.” The orderly spat and shoved him towards Jack.

 

“Don’t listen to that guy man,” ‘Hanson’ said as he smacked a hand on Jack’s shoulder, “We’ve all done things we wished we didn’t.”

 

Jack nodded, and continued into the mess hall.

 

“So you’re new, right?” The new face asked Jack, his hand still firmly on Jack’s shoulder.

 

Jack nodded again.

 

“Well, I’m Arin. Wanna sit with my friends and I today?” He offered with a smile.

 

“You don’t-” Jack began, not wanting Arin to feel bad for him.

 

“Great!” Arin slapped Jack’s shoulder again, pulling him in line to get food.

 

Jack sheepishly followed Arin, being silently grateful he didn’t have to eat alone on the first day.

 

Jack was so sick of eating alone. He’d only eaten alone for the last two months.

 

“So..” Arin spoke, “What’s your name?”

 

“Sean,” Jack replied, “But I prefer to be called Jack, if you don’t mind.”

 

Arin nodded, grabbing two trays and handing one to Jack.

 

“Well, Jack. You’re not the only patient in ‘wannabe solitary confinement.’ And not every patient in it is in here for murder. So don’t let that get you down.” Arin pointed out.

 

“Well, how-” Jack began, allowing the lunch staff to fill his tray.

 

“We all saw your room only had one bed…” Arin chuckled and reminded him.

 

Jack nodded, and followed Arin to a table.

 

Before Arin or Jack could say anything else, a small group of more young men joined them at the table. 

 

Mildly loud chatter filled the table, and then the mess hall. Jack smiled to himself as it was the noises that he missed. He hated the silence of his cells. 

 

He came from a big family, and a noisy home was comfort.

 

Jack picked at his food, his eyes on his tray.

 

“Fellas, this is Jack. A new addition to the hospital.” Arin introduced, causing Jack to snap his head up. He smiled slightly.

 

Jack was quickly bombarded with  _ hello _ s, handshakes, and introductions.

 

From the chatter he was able to pick out a Ross, Wade, and Dan. Those were the three main guys sitting with them anyway, so that’s all Jack cared about.

 

Three quiet boys sat at the other end of the table, far from Arin and his friends.

 

The three seemed to be in between Jack’s and Arin’s age.   
  


A young man with raven hair sticking up in every direction and glasses perched onto his nose sat silently, a half filled tray left untouched.

 

Two boys sat across from him, mops of brown hair sat atop their heads. One with large rounded glasses on his face, the other without.

 

“You have to eat, man.” Jack overheard, “You’ll get in trouble again.” The one with darker, almost black hair warned.

 

The boy beside him pushed up his glasses and nodded, his sickly pale skin and thin, and lanky build gave an uneasy vibe to the boy.

 

“So how’d you two run into each other?” Dan asked Arin, forcing Jack to return his attention.

 

“Same floor.” Arin replied, shoving a helping of food into his mouth, “Greg was saying some smart shit he didn’t need to say.”

 

“What’d he say?” Ross asked, looking at Jack.

 

Jack swallowed hard and looked up at Ross, “He was surprised another murderer was admitted.”

 

“Why’d he say that?” Ross asked with disgust lacing his voice, he hated hearing people being judged so harshly so quickly.

 

“Jack’s in solitary confinement.” Arin stated matter-of-factually.

 

“So?” Danny said exasperated, “Almost every fucking guy in here is. Arin is, and he’d never hurt anyone!” 

 

“But I did,” Jack said nonchalantly. 

 

“What?” The table fell silent.

 

“I-” Jack began, “I did a terrible thing. And I can’t take it back. He’s right.”

 

“Nah man,” Danny pat Jack’s shoulder like Arin had done before, “It’s fine. You’re here now, making it all better.”

 

He paused as Jack nodded, “We all are.”

 

Ross and Wade nodded in agreement. 

 

Arin smiled and nodded to the boy at the other end of the table Jack was staring at before.

 

“Well there’s killer number 2 of the month, then.”

 

“Arin,” Danny sighed at Arin’s insensitivity.

 

“That’s Mark. He’s been in for a couple of weeks. His pals Ryan and Matt have been here longer than any of us have.” Arin explained.

 

Jack returned his attention to the raven haired boy and his company.

 

The young man with light brown hair and glasses was Matt. Matt was a very lanky, dorky kid who had been in the hospital for most of his adolescence. 

 

“Come on, man.” Matt pressed, “Eat.”

 

Ryan was the boy with darker hair, and  shoved the tray in Mark’s direction. 

 

Mark didn’t move, didn’t even seem to breathe. He had this creepy stillness to him that made Jack feel uneasy.

 

Then his friend sighed “I’m gonna have to get her if you don’t eat, Mark.”

 

‘Mark’, Jack assumed, looked up at Matt with a scared look on his face.

 

“Matt, I-” Ryan looked at Matt in shock. Matt shoudn’t have taken it so far so quickly. Every boy in this hospital had triggers, and those words happened to be Mark’s.

 

Matt stood and shouted, “No, Ryan! He has to eat!”

 

“Matt, calm down.” Ryan soothed, standing and placing a hand on Matt’s back.

 

“No!” Matt shouted again, “He’s not doing this again!” 

 

Suddenly, Matt was shoving handfuls of food onto Mark’s face in a desperate attempt to make his friend eat.

 

Mark jerked back and tried to push Matt away. 

 

His mouth quickly filled with smashed food as Matt persisted to get Mark to eat. 

 

Ryan tried pulling Matt back down into his seat but struggled. 

 

Just as quickly as it started, it ended as orderlies pulled all three boys away from each other.

 

Mark was pressed onto the floor and immediately handcuffed, even though he hadn’t retaliated. 

 

He was choking and coughing up the food Matt had attempted to force feed him.

 

Ryan was just shoved back, away from the scene. Matt, was also quickly handcuffed and carted off into his room almost instantly.

 

An orderly attempted to get Mark up onto his feet, but the boy refused.

 

“Fischbach! On your feet!” The orderly yelled, attempting to yank him upward from the back of his shirt collar

 

“Hey!” Arin called out, “Cool off, man. He didn’t even do anything.”

 

“Just eat your food, kid.” The orderly replied.

 

Arin stood and made his way to the orderly still attempting to get Mark up off the floor.

 

“Hey,” Arin said, leaning down and tugging on the handcuffs, “How well you think he’s going to respond when you have him cuffed?”

 

“Like I’m going to be in the same room as this kid without him being cuffed,” The orderly scoffed.

 

“Come on, man,” Arin tried to reason, “He didn’t do anything. His friend was just worried about him.”

 

The orderly hesitated, looking around to see almost every single patient in the mess hall was sat silent, watching.

 

The orderly rolled his eyes, sighed, and uncuffed Mark.

 

“I’m not cleaning that up,” The orderly left, referring to the food that was smeared on the table and floor.

 

“You alright, man?” Arin asked, offering a hand for Mark to get up.

 

Mark didn’t even look up at him, he just pulled himself up off the floor.

 

“Mark,” Ryan spoke from the other side of the table.

 

“Hey man, are you alright?” Arin asked again.

 

Mark ignored him and sat back down where he had been previously, across from Ryan.

 

“How about I get you another tray?” Arin offered, cringing at the food smeared all around them.

 

Mark seemed to instantly tense up, causing Ryan to answer for him.

 

“No, thank you. He’ll be fine.” Ryan nodded to Arin, but not looking at him, having all of his attention on Mark.

 

“Alright,” Arin nodded, “I’ll see you guys around then.” 

 

Arin turned around and sat back down less than two yards away from the boys on the same table with his pals.

“What the fuck?” Danny whispered as the chatter resumed within the mess hall, reducing to a growing whisper from the patients.

 

Arin shrugged and continued his meal, “Everyone has those episodes every now and then.”

 

“Yeah but was that Mark’s episode or Matt’s?” Ross shook his head, keeping his eyes on the silent boys at the end of the table.

 

“Perhaps both,” Jack chimed in.

 

Then, the whole group turned to look at him.

 

“Where are you from, again?” Arin asked with a confused look on his face.

 

“Did you  _ just _ catch the accent?” Jack smiled, holding back a chuckle.

 

“Yeah,” Arin continued, staring at Jack with that same look on his face.

 

“I was born and raised In Ireland. My dad moved to New York for work about a year ago.” Jack explained.

 

“And how’d you end up at Baltimore?” Danny pressed.

  
Jack shrugged and took a bite of his food, “Everyone had those episodes every now and then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for all the positive feedback. let me know what you'd like to see in this!


	3. All these marks of youth soon transformed coldly into stone-

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just what you'd expect at a state facility that houses the criminally insane.

A loud piercing ringing echoed throughout the mess hall.

 

Ross groaned as the rest of the men poked fun.

 

“What now?” Jack asked, referring to the patients leaving the mess hall.

 

“How old are you?” Arin asked, picking up the remains of his lunch.

 

“17,” Jack responded.

 

“Did you finish high school?” Arin asked, leading him to throw away the trash.

 

“No,” Jack reminded, “I was in the middle of a murder trial.”

 

Arin nodded and turned to face him, “Younger patients like you and Ross have school now.”

 

Jack nodded in understanding. Jack liked school. Well, Jack liked learning.

 

And Jack hoped that schooling in a high security state facility housing the criminally insane would be different than any public school.

 

“McLoughlin, Sean.” The orderly from before called from the entrance of the mess hall.

 

Jack quickly turned his attention to the man searching through the sea of faces for the lad.

 

“Go,” Arin shoved Jack lightly, “We’ll see you later. Ross will keep you company.”

 

Danny, Arin, and Wade snickered as they went to their rooms, being some of the older patients at the hospital who didn’t need to go to school.

 

“I’m Sean McLoughlin,” Jack said as he approached the orderly. 

 

“Alright, Sean,” The orderly nodded, checking something off the clipboard in front of him.

 

“Follow me,” The orderly continued, leading Jack down the long and narrow corridor.

 

The walk was short as within minutes the orderly abruptly stopped in front of a clearing at the end of the hallway.

 

“This is where patients who haven’t completed their necessary schooling study, while other patients are in their rooms.” The orderly explained, ushering Jack into the room with about ten tables. Each table exactly five green, plastic chairs circling it with one large cushioned chair in the center.

 

“Students may only need to complete specific courses, some may need to makeup full terms during their sentence. Your transcripts however are hard to decipher, seeing you came from a different country.” The orderly explained as he motioned for Jack to sit at the table furthest to the left. Jack nodded in understanding, his school told him the same thing when he transferred.

 

The American school system treated Jack the way he’d been treated his whole life; Shoved to the back until someone else had to deal with him. Maybe that’s why I ended up here, he thought.

 

Jack scolded himself for blaming anyone but himself for being where he was. He did this to himself. He did this to his family and to society, and HE had to pay for it.

 

He had murdered his mother and sister in cold blood. And the worst part of it all was that over the course of the last few months since the slayings, Jack’s been asked about a hundred times why he did it, and he could never give an answer.

 

It was that that haunted him day in and day out.

 

“Some courses may be identical, some may be things you’ve never heard of before, but like everything else here, it just takes some getting used to.”  The orderly snapped Jack back into reality.

 

Jack nodded in agreement once more, “Yeah.”

 

“Once we decide what courses you’ll need, we’ll get you books and a proper schedule. Until then, you can just sit in for any lessons you’d like. Just be sure not to disrupt anyone.” The orderly offered with a kind smile.

 

Jack nodded for a final time and replied, “Thank you.”

 

The orderly nodded and waited for the remainder of the patients to enter the schooling room of the facility.

 

Quickly, the room filled with patients of varying ages who all sat at differing tables.

 

Jack began to space out as he waited to be further assisted. As it seemed that all the appropriate patients were there, the tutors began their lessons and a light chatter filled the room.

 

Jack was distracted by the whisper argument coming from the back of the room. The orderly who escorted him was having a disagreement with a female orderly with a clipboard in hand. The two seemed to vague gesture in Jack’s direction every now and again.

 

Once they stopped, Jack quickly turned his head to face his tutor again. After a few moments, he felt a light tapping on his shoulder.

 

“Sorry, Sean?” She asked, Jack nodded in response. The female orderly with long black hair slicked up in a ponytail smiled at him.

 

“Can you follow me?” She asked, pointing to the corridor outside the door. Jack nodded again and followed suit.

 

“Sorry about that,” She offered once they left the room, trying not to distract any other patients, “Felix put you in the wrong schooling clearing. You’ll be in a different one.” She explained, leading him to an old elevator around the corner from the mess hall.

 

Two security guards stood outside the large metal doors. They had weapons and restraints on their belt, which would be necessary in their field of work.

 

The two men looked at the orderly who hesitated, but nodded. Jack looked at her in confusion, but it became clear when he was gently pressed against a wall and handcuffed.

 

“What’d I do?” Jack asked, his voice small in shame. He hadn’t purposefully done anything to anyone today, why was he being restrained.

 

“I’m sorry,” She offered with a sad smile, “But the severity of your crime means you and I can’t be in a small space together without some type of restraint.” She explained.

 

Jack nodded in understanding and hung his head from his shoulders.

 

One of the two security guards opened the elevator with his access ID card and escorted Jack in by his arm, the orderly following behind.

 

The orderly pressed the big, glowing button with a (5) on it, causing the doors to close and the elevator to zoom up to the fifth floor.

 

“You’ll be doing your schooling with boys in your age range who’re also in the same situation you are,” The orderly explained.

 

“What do you mean?” Jack asked, wincing as the sharp metal dug into his wrists.

 

“There aren’t many teenagers in here for murder,” She said bluntly, her tired eyes giving the impression that Jack was annoying her, “Only a few still in schooling, who’ll you’ll be with today.”

 

“How many?” Jack asked. 

 

“Only three others,” She responded, the hum of the elevator car stopped and a ding opened the doors quickly.

 

The orderly walked in front of Jack and the guard escorting him. Within seconds, the orderly scanned her access ID card to open three consecutive large, metal doors to only be met with another security guard. He was an older white man who stood with strong intimidation.

 

“All this for school?” Jack muttered under his breath.

 

“After what you’ve done? Most certainly.” The security guard gripped his arm tightly.

 

The old guard looked at the orderly with a questioning look, his eyelids drooping over his eyes.

 

“McLoughlin, Sean.” The orderly recited, handing the guard her clipboard “He was admitted a few hours ago. He has to finish basic public schooling.”

 

The guard looked at Jack and back at the clipboard, “Well, Sean. since you’re coming from Ireland-”

 

“I know, sir.” Jack nodded.

 

The guard fell silent, and looked up at the orderly who just shrugged. The old man examined Jack closely before waving at the guard who had Jack in his grip. The guard quickly uncuffed Jack and lightly shoved him forward.

 

“Here you go, Sean.” The old guard gave a sarcastic smile as he unlocked the final metal door with his access ID card.

 

Jack looked back to see the orderly and other guard make their way back to their jobs. Jack faced forwards and followed the older man into the high security room.

 

He saw an old woman with sagging skin and pinned up red hair sit at a table with a boy Jack had recognized from the mess hall.

 

“Hello,” The old woman smiled as she noticed Jack and the man enter, “Is this a new student?”

 

“Yes, ma’am” The guard replied, handing her the clipboard with Jack’s information on it.

 

“Well, Sean.” The woman smiled at Jack who took a seat beside Ryan, the quiet boy from the mess hall incident not even an hour earlier, “You, my boys, and I are going to have a good time getting our schoolwork done, isn’t that right?”

 

Jack nodded, looking down at the flimsy wooden desk he leaned his arms on.

 

“And we’ll tolerate no distractions. Will we, Ryan?” The woman asked Ryan, who sat silent, looking down at his textbook. He softly shook his head.

 

Suddenly, another guard entered the room with another boy from before in handcuffs.

 

His thin and brittle wrists were cuffed so his arms were in front of him, only allowing him to push his glasses up on his face.

 

Jack looked up at the boy who sat on the other side of him.

 

“What’s the matter, dear” The woman asked the boy who’s raven hair was flattened against his forehead.

 

“He got into trouble in the mess hall,” The guard who brought him in explained, “They almost didn’t let him come in today.”

 

The woman nodded and smiled at the boy, Mark, Jack remembered.

 

It all suddenly hit Jack like a truck, these were 2 of the the 3 other boys who the orderly was talking about. These were the only other guys in the same situation as Jack, teenage boys in  a state facility for murder.

 

“Watson won’t be joining you today, he was part of the trouble in the hall and won’t be able to leave his cell for a few days.”

 

Those words made Ryan snap up from his book to look up at him.

 

“It’ll be alright, I’ll drop off work for him later today.” The woman assured, leaving a comforting hand on Ryan’s back.

 

_ Matt’s killer number four then,  _ Jack thought to himself.

 

He looked up at Mark and Ryan to try and see it. Jack wasn’t quite sure what  _ it _ was. He was trying to see the eyes of killers in them. Although to be fair, Jack never saw it in himself either.

 

The guard uncuffed Mark who immediately grabbed one of the textbooks in the middle of the table.

 

The two guards stood on either side of the door, to be sure the murderers of the facility didn’t get into trouble.

 

“Well, let’s get reading.” The woman said in a soft, yet cheery voice. A voice that reminded Jack closely of his grandmother. He smiled at the thought.

 

Mark sat completely still and quiet, to the point when Jack accidentally bumped the lad with his elbow, he didn’t even seem to breathe.

 

“You alright?” Jack asked, looking at the boy who sat frozen in his seat.

 

Ryan looked at Jack and shook his head. Jack looked up at Ryan with confusion.

 

“This is quiet time for the boys,” The woman whispered to Jack and pointed to the book in front of him.

 

It clicked in Jack’s head and he nodded, burying his nose into the book, wondering where Mark’s mind had taken him.

 

_ In the heavy uniform he had to wear, Mark began to sweat. The school was much warmer this afternoon than usual. Suffering a particularly miserable winter, the furnace blasted all day and all night to warm the school for faculty and students. _

 

_ “Miss,” Mark raised his hand sheepishly, never having called attention to himself before. _

 

_ “What is it, Marcus?” Mark grimaced at the name, his older brother had reminded the teacher that that wasn’t his name, but she insisted, _

 

_ “It’s really warm in here,” Mark shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, “Can someone turn off the furnace?” _

 

_ The woman scoffed at the request, “And what? Have the whole school freeze because you don’t know how to be a man? I don’t think so.” _

 

_ The class erupted in laughter, the little boys and girls pointing and laughing at Mark, causing him to shrink into his seat. _

 

_ “But it’s really hot,” Mark sniffled, immediately regretting asking in the first place. _

 

_ “Marcus, you are nearly eleven years old, you have to learn to deal with these things on your own, Just take of your coat, you’re indoors.” The woman shook her head and continued with the lesson. _

_ Mark felt a bead of sweat run down his face. He quickly wiped it and took off his heavy winter coat. _

 

_ Mark his his face as he continued to hear small snickers come from other students. He bit his tongue as he never dared to cry in front of them again. _

 

_ Underneath the floorboards, the furnace was piping with heat that quickly circulated throughout the four story building. Perhaps such a heavy and roaring furnace operating unattended in a large building made entirely of wood wasn’t up to safety regulations. _

 

_ As students went between classes, the creaky old staircase that stretched from the first to the third floor seemed to soften underneath the hundreds of pairs of small feet. _

 

_ The completely wooden structure of the school was well slicked with oil to prevent students from getting splinters while traveling barefoot in the night. This caused some of the older students to slide along the hallways in the winter months instead of ice skating on the frozen pond behind the school. _

 

_ Thomas had warned Mark to never do such a reckless thing as he could easily get in trouble for such behavior or even hurt. _

 

_ Many students and faculty, including Mark, noticed that the furnace had begun to overheat that afternoon. This caused the house to be abnormally warm. _

 

_ In fear of being without a furnace for the rest of winter, the maintenance workers decided to let the furnace run dry and inform all inhabitants that the heat would eventually subside. _

 

_ Mark sat still and silent in his wooden chair, immensely uncomfortable as the lesson went on. _

 

_ A maintenance worker soon noticed rooms on the lower floors began to subtly cloud with smoke. Immediately going to check on the furnace, he was faced with a blistering hot handle to the door that lead to the over heating furnace, It was clear was was going on. _

 

_ The old, oiled wood was being quickly devoured by the flames overflowing and spilling out of the furnace doors. _

 

_ Almost instantly, the classrooms began to fill with thick, black smoke. The smaller children panicking and rushing to safety. _

 

_ The teacher in charge of Mark and his classmates swallowed hard as she heard the faint screams of children and running feet from the floor below her. _

 

_ Mark looked around to see the students getting out of their chairs and rushing out of the door. _

 

_ “Hurry! Fire!” He heard a boy yell from the hallway. _

 

_ “Be calm, Marcus.” The teacher ordered as she ushered him quickly out of the room. _

 

_ She gripped onto his hand and held tightly, rushing him to the stair case. The narrow, and tall wooden structure quickly jammed with students and faculty running from opposing directions attempting to get to safety. _

 

_ Mark squeezed his eyes shut as the smoke quickly began to burn his eyes. _

 

_ “Come on, Marcus, we cannot slow down.” She yelled over the screaming children and panic. _

 

_ Mark grabbed onto her arm and pressed his face closely against her, following her lead to the stairs. _

 

_ Mark kept his eyes closed shut as he heard the loud, harsh coughing of kids older and younger coming from the staircase. _

 

_ The flooded staircase acted as a chimney as the small lungs of the children instantly overflowed with hot, black smoke coming from the boards beneath their feet, _

 

_ Mark opened his eyes to see his classmates screaming in agony as they fell to the ground as a result of smoke inhalation. Shocked at the scene in front of him, he quickly shook himself from his teacher and ran back to his classroom. _

 

_ “Marcus!” She called frantically after him. _

 

_ Mark immediately began coughing roughly as he couldn’t save his lungs from the harsh smoke seeping into them. The lad choking on the air around him led him to sprint for the window. _

 

_ His small, weak arms, could hardly push the heavy wood and glass structure up and open. _

 

_ He immediately breathed in the sweet, sharp, cold air from the outside. He looked down to the floor outside to see faculty and students run far from the school. _

 

_ “Mark! Mark!” He heard a familiar voice scream outside, he squinted his heavy eyes to find the face. _

 

_ “Mark!” Thomas called for his baby brother from the ground outside. _

 

_ “Thomas!” Mark called and waved his arms out the window. _

 

_ “Mark!” Thomas called once more once he saw his brother from a third story window, going into a full on sprint towards the school. _

 

_ Almost instantly, the headmaster wrapped a firm arm around Thomas’ front and jerking him backward. _

 

_ “Are you crazy? You can’t go in there!” The headmaster screamed at him. _

 

_ “My brother! I have to get him!” Thomas called out. _

 

_ Mark felt tears quickly fall from his eyes. Even though black smoke filled the building, Mark blamed his cowardice for the tears. _

 

_ “Tommy!” Mark cried out for his brother, his best friend. _

 

_ Mark’s attention was jerked to the window from a neighboring classroom on the same floor, a window from which he saw Jacob Sanders, a boy who’d pushed him into a mud puddle last summer, jump from the classroom and promptly land onto the frozen mud ground beneath the school, killing him instantly. _

 

_ Mark turned away immediately, tears spilling faster and faster. _

 

_ Thomas squirmed in the arms of the headmaster, trying his best to escape her grip to save his brother. _

 

_ Suddenly, Mark looked out the window to notice Jacob Sanders wasn’t the only students to have the idea. It seemed to rain students, no older than 13, from the second, third, and fourth floors onto the frozen ground. About a dozen student out of the fire, dying at their own hands anyway. _

 

_ It clicked in Mark’s head what he had to do. He wasn’t, for once in his life, be a coward. He was going to leave this world trying to get to his brother. _

 

_ Mark willed himself to open the window slightly more. Thomas immediately saw whar his younger brother was going to do. _

 

_ “Mark! Mark!” Thomas screamed, still attempting to escape his restraints, “Don’t you dare!” _

 

_ “Mark! Don’t!” Thomas called for his brother, thrashing at the headmaster to let him go. _

_ Mark took in a ball of cool, refreshing winter air and took a moment to realize the screaming no longer came from the children in the school, but the old wood that housed their singeing corpses. _

 

_ Mark squeezed his eyes shut, them immediately opened them up again. _

 

_ “Time to be a man,” He said to himself, as he leaped out of the window with wide eyes. _

 

_ Thomas scratched and pulled at the headmaster’s hair in attempt to run and catch his brother. But before the headmaster could soothe him to calm down, he heard his brother crash into a pile onto the frozen soil only a few yards in front of him. _

 

_ Like a light switch, the thrashing and screaming stopped, leaving Thomas to lay limp in the headmaster’s arms. He felt a single tear run down his cheek, only to realize it hadn’t fallen from his eyes, but the Headmaster stood above him. _

 

_ “I’m so sorry, Mr. Fischbach.” _

 

_ Mark heard the gasps a few yards from him, and the surviving students outside crying. After taking a few deep breaths of fresh air, Mark felt it, he was dying. _

 

_ He allowed a few tears to slip. He’d done this to end it quickly, but Mark survived the fall, and that broke his heart among other things. _

 

_ He was grateful as his suffering ended rather quickly, he heard the loud wailing of first responding fire trucks and EMS vehicles screech in as his vision blurred into a solid blinding white. _


End file.
